Obama's opponents: Where are they now?

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

President Obama and defeated Republican rival Mitt Romney will have a private lunch at the White House Thursday, the first time the two have met since the election. Here's a look at what happened to other Obama opponents.

Two former Obama opponents -- Rep. Bobby Rush and Hillary Clinton -- went on to become allies. Two others -- Alan Keyes and John McCain -- remained firmly on the other side. The other four -- Alice Palmer, Yesse Yehudah, Blair Hull and Jack Ryan -- left politics altogether.

Here's a look at what happened to Obama's political opponents.

Alice Palmer

In 1995, Illinois state Sen. Alice Palmer announced she would retire from the legislature and introduced Obama as her successor. When she lost a primary race for a Congressional seat, she changed her mind and filed for her old seat, but Obama challenged the signatures on her petitions, disqualifying her from the ballot.

Where is she now? Retired. After leaving the legislature, Palmer worked as an associate professor of urban planning at the University of Chicago at Illinois. According to an Illinois newspaper, the 73-year-old Palmer finished chemotherapy for breast cancer in 2011.

Yesse Yehudah

In 1998, Obama ran for re-election to the state Senateagainst Republican Yesse Yehudah, a first-time candidate who served as executive director of FORUM, a community group that offered rehabilitated homes to first-time buyers. Obama won by a margin of 89 percent to 11 percent in the heavily Democratic 13th District.

Where is he now? Still working as a community activist. In 2002, the Illinois attorney general filed a lawsuit against Yehudah and twoothers, arguing they misused funds. Yehudah denied doing anything wrong, but he paid $10,000 to a charity to settle the lawsuit.

Bobby Rush

In 2000, Obama challenged four-term incumbent Bobby Rush for the Democratic nomination for his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Though Obama did well with fundraising, he did not get enough support in black neighborhoods. Rush won with 61 percent to Obama's 30 percent and remains the only person to defeat Obama.

Where is he now? Still in Congress. Rush continues to win re-election by high margins and supported Obama in the 2008 Democratic primary. In 2012, he broke House rules by wearing a hoodie while speaking on the floor about the shooting of Florida teen-ager Trayvon Martin.

Blair Hull

A multimillionaire Army veteran, Blair Hull seemed like a shoo-in for the Democratic Party nomination for Senate in 2004. But unsealed divorce papers hurt his campaign when they revealed an allegation that he had threatened to kill his wife. Obama prevailed among a crowded field of candidates with 53 percent of the vote, while state comptroller Dan Hynes came in second and Hull third.

Where is he now? Still active in politics, but not as a politician. Hull joined the Democracy Alliance, a group that helps fund liberal organizations, in 2005 and remains active in Democratic politics as a donor and activist. He donated to both Obama and Mitt Romney in 2011.

Jack Ryan

A wealthy investment banker, Jack Ryan won the Republican nomination for Senate and began campaigning against Obama. When court papers related to his divorce were unsealed at the request of Chicago newspaper reporters, they revealed allegations that he had pressured his ex-wife, actress Jeri Ryan, to go with him to sex clubs. Ryan officially withdrew from the race.

Where is he now? On the other side of the editorial line. In 2005, Ryan launched 22nd Century Media, which runs several hyperlocal newspapers in the suburbs of Chicago. "Now I'm writing about people instead of being written about," he told one interviewer.

Alan Keyes

After Ryan dropped out of the Senate race, Illinois Republican leaders drafted conservative activist and perennial candidate Alan Keyes to run against Obama in the general election. Keyes was criticized for running despite the fact that he did not live in Illinois. Obama won with 70 percent of the vote.

Where is he now? Still politically active but much less visible. He ran a nominal campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, then ran unsuccessfully for the Constitution Party nomination before starting a third party which was only on the ballot in a handful of states.

Hillary Clinton

The frontrunner for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton was a formidable opponent. After one of the most hard-fought primaries in years, Obama defeated her with a string of wins in key state primaries and caucuses and won over enough superdelegates to secure the nomination.

Where is she now? Finishing a term as Secretary of State. Clinton has won praise for her work with Asian countries such as Myanmar and on women's issues and is more popular than she's ever been. She may or may not run for president in 2016.

John McCain

After losing the 2000 nomination to George W. Bush, Arizona Sen. John McCain came back to win in 2008. But his general election campaign against Obama was hurt by difficulty fundraising, a weak Republican brand and the tanking economy, an issue that was not his strong suit. Obama won the Electoral College 365-173.

Where is he now? Still in the Senate and still a thorn in Obama's side. McCain opposed Obama on the stimulus, foreign policy, health care bill and the end of Don't Ask Don't Tell, among other things. He survived an unexpectedly tough Republican primary and was re-elected in 2010.

Mitt Romney

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney overcame a bruising Republican primary to face Obama in the general election. Although he did well in the first presidential debate, Romney was unable to overcome Obama's advantages with younger voters, African Americans and Latinos, and attacks on his wealth and business experience hurt his image.

Where is he now? Figuring out what to do next. In recent days, Romney was spotted pumping his own gas, watching the final "Twilight" movie and taking his family to Disneyland. He'll meet with Obama for a private lunch Thursday.